Motor vehicle



Nov. 30, 1926.

L. .MELANOWSKI MOTOR VEHICLE Original Filed April v, 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet- 1 Nov. 30,1926. 1,609,264

L. MELANOWSKI MOTOR VEHICLE Original Filed April 7, 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 30,1926. 1,609,264 L. MELANOWSKI MOTOR VEHICLE Original Filed prii '7, 191a 4S1ieets-Sfxeet '3 Wilma.

1,609,264 L. MELANOWSKI MOTOR VEHICLE Nov. 30 1926.

o i i al Filed April 7, 1,919 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Nov. 30, 1926.

7 OHIO.

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- Application filed Apri17, 1919, Serial No. 288,010, Renewed April 24, 1926. n

This invention relates to motor vehicles, more particularly to the driving mechanism therefor. v

One object of the invention is to simplify the construction of driving mechanism for motor vehicles. a

- Another object of the invention is to provide an improved driving mechanism, the

' elements of which are correlated to efliciently and economically transmit the power of the engine to thedriven axle of the vehicle.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved driving mechanism in the propeller shaft and the driven axle is secured in a simple manner.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent to those'skilled in the art from the following description. For the purpose of illustration I have, in the accompanying drawings, shown and bodying my invention.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a motor vehicle chassis (the near front and rear wheels being omitted) having a driving mechanism embodying my invention. I 1 "Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view' substantially in the plane ofthe propeller shaft.

Fig. 3'is a section on line 3-3 of ig. 2. Fig. 4: is av view of the parts shown in Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow.

Fig. 5 is a Fig. 2.

, herein described one form of apparatus em In the drawings, 1 indicates a frame of The frame 1 is.

any desired construction. mounted on front and rear wheels 2, 3, respectively (shown in dotted lines), the axle for the latter being indicated as an entirety at 5. The rear axle 5 preferably consists'of 1 a suitable housing 5*, preferably comprising tubular members 5 which enclose the rear liveaxle sections 5 5 and an intermediate or central fmember 5, -which co-operates with the tubular members to enclose a differential mechanism 6. The differential mechanism 6 may be of any desired construction. 8 indicates as an entirety the motor, preferably of the internal combustion type, mounted .in any suitable manner upon the frame 1. 8 indicates a propeller shaft conwhich the; proper speed reduction between section on the line 5- 5"of' nected at its front end to the shaft of the motor 8, or some element driven thereby,

versa'l joint 8 with a shaft 9.

and connected at its rear end'through a uniknown manner-to or formed integral with the rear end-of the shaft 9. 11 indicates an internal gear in mesh with and arranged to be drivenby the pinion l0. The internal THE oi'riznns SAVINGS/AND I gear preferably comprises a hub 11*, a plate ll and a flange 11 on which the teeth of the gear ,may be provided, these parts being preferably formed integrally. The hub 11 of the internal gear preferably extends in opposite directions to either side of the plate 11 and serves as a shaft for the gear. The

' rear end ofthe hub ll -is preferably tapered to receive a pinion 7, in mesh with the gear .6 of the dllferential 6. The

pinion 7 may be rigidly secured'toithe-hub 11?, by the following means, which are shown merely for illustrative purposes: 12 indicates an opening extending axially through the hub 11 12? indicates a rod extending through the opemng 12. At its rear end'the' rod 12 is formed with a head 12 whichengage's the rear side or face of the pinion" 7; at itsopposite end the rod 12: is providedwith screw threads totakea nut 12. When the nut 12 .is screwed. up against the adjacent. end of the hub ll git serves to draw the rod 12 end- I wise and the latter acting through the head 12 serves to-force the pinion 7 against and maintain it in fixed engagement with the tapered walls at the rear end of the hub 11 The nut '12" maybe locked in position in any suitable mannen: v

The inner ends of the tubular members 5 are connected to thecentral member'or dif ferential casing 5, by any suitable means; that shown comprising bolts and nuts5 the former extending through openings in the casing 5,as shown in Fig. 3. The inner end walls of the tubular members are-pref erably recessed at 5 to 'receivethecasing proof and oil tight.

wall 5 andinsure a dust joint. At 13 the walls of the central member 5 are preferably extended forwardly.

14 indicates a plate connected, preferably integrally, to thewalls 13 and co-operating with the walls of the housing 5 to close the same for well known. purposes. Theplate 14 is preferably round and provided with a circumferential rim or wall 14 to form a" 5 At 14: the plate 14: is formed with an opening through which the hub 11 extends. 1 1v indicates a collar surrounding the opening 14c and extending rearwardly of the plate 14:. The; collar 14L forms a support for an anti-friction bearing 16, which may be 'of; the am ular type; 1 The bearing 16; is

preferably removably naounted in the collar 14 but is normally held stationery therein by the hub 11 to which the inner race is secured. For this purpose, the rear end of the hub 11; is reduced to form a shoulder 11* against which the inner race of the bear 7 ing abuts This race is held against the shoulder 11 by the pinion 7 and the securing means therefore 1 from the front face of the member 17,

17 indicates; a cover or member which cooperates with wall 14* to form a closed chamher for the internal gear 11. The member 17 may be provided with a flange 17 which engages a flange 14? "on the wall l lfk. The

flanges 14* and; 17" may be secured together 7 by cap screws 18, or any other well known means, I I V v v v 19, 20, indicate extension members, preferably of tubular shape, extending forwardly The tubular extension 19 is arranged centrally of the member 17 and adapted to receive and support an anti-friction bearing 21 for the front end tof the hub 11. The inner race ofzthe. bearing 21 fits against a shoulder 11 on the adjacent end of the hub 11 The bearing 21 is preferably a taperedroller bearing to take the end thrusts of the hub 11. 22 indicates an adjustable cap which fits within the tubular member" 19, with its inner'end in engagement with the outer race of the bearing 21;., As the cap has. screw-i threaded engagemen-t with the inner walls of the tubular extension 19, it can be operated to adjust the bearing21: whenever that be comes necessary. At 23 the'tubular extension is cut or split circumferentially and at 2a it isicu t or split longitudinally to formf a. clamp collar and provided with lugs 25.

t The lugs 25 are formedwith alined openings to. receive a clamping device 25 such as bolt, having a not which, when tightened, serves to operate the clamp collar and there by lock the cap. 22 against movement.

'The tubular extension 20 is formed with internal ribs 26, 26, which form recesses or seats at the opposite ends of the extension for anti-friction bearings 27, 27, preferably of the tapered roller type, for the shaft The outer endof thetubular extension 20 is preferably closed by a collar 28, which is positioned against the inner race of the bearing 27,, and. an annular member 29 secured to the outer end of the tubular extension 20, the collar 28 and member 29 co-operating to close ina dust proof manner the outer end of the extension. The collar may be heldin position by locking'devices of any suitable construction, "indicated as an entirety at 30; a a 7 The tubular extension 20 is preferably arranged above and in a vertical plane cutting the axis of the hub 11 so as to support the shaft 9 at the highest point. By this arange en I m nabled to ar nge the shaft 9 horizontally and in substantially axial alignment with the axis of the shaft of the motor, so that the propeller shaft 8 extend horizontally in the axiallineof the motor shaft and intermediateshaft 9 when the frame of the chassis and the axles. for the wheels 2 and 3 are. in normal relationship to each other, 7 It is well known that in a construction wherein the motortransmits its power through elements to the driving Y pinion shaft, which are arranged at angles to each other, considerable loss of pewer results, through friction created the universai joints. By my construction l: am enabled to correlate theimotor shaft, thev pinion carrying shaft 9 and the intermediate shaft 8 in axial alignmentwith eachother, when the chassis is standing still orrunning on a substantially level surface, thus: reducing the friction and loss of power to a mini-mum,

Furthermore, by providing an internal gear type of construction between the propeller shaft 8 or intermediate shaft 9 and 100 the differential mechanism 6, I; am enabled to utilizein an economical and efiicient manner the maximum. power ofthe propeller. shaft 8 to drive the vehicle.- I am also enabled to provide, in a simple? manner; a 195 double reduction in speed betweefi'the ro: peller shaft. and rear axle. The numberfof power transmitting elements required are relatively small,-thus: reducing to the'mini mum the-number ofsupeportingvandtthrust 110 bearings and the cost/of the mechanism' as a whole. 7

My construction is relatively light: and; cheap to manufacture and the. transmitting 'f elementsare enclosed in a tight casing tolls insure-proper lubrication thereof. lFunther more, the construction of the casing is such as to: hermit ready accessibility to and ad'- justment of the power transmitting elements enclosed therein.

Tot-hose skilled inythe art, many altera-j tions in construction and widelycdiffering embodiments and. applications. of my invention will suggest themselves, without depart,- ing from the spirit and scope thereofl fM'y 125 disclosures and the description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting. I

lVhat I claim is i ,7 1. In a motor vehicle,v the combination of 1 0 a rear axle housing, final drive mechanism, lncludmg a differential hav1ng a driven gear, a propeller shaft carrying a driving pinion, and a transmission member connecting said driving pinion and the driven gear of said differential, said member comprising an internal gear in mesh with said driving pinion and having a hub serving as a shaft for said internal gear, a pinion secured to said hub and arranged in mesh with said differential driven. gear and anti-friction bearings carried by said housing for sup- I porting the opposite ends of said hub.

2. In a motor vehicle, the combination of a rear axle casin final drive mechanism, a difierential therefor having a housing carrying a driven gear, a propeller shaft, an inintermediate shaft and the said difi'erential, said member comprising a gear in mesh with said pinion and a pinionin mesh with said differential driven gear, said rear axle case ing comprising a Wall having an opening to receive a bearing for one end of the shaft for said transmission, member and a cover provided with a tubular extension to-receive a thrust bearing for the opposite end of the shaft for said transmission member.

In testimony whereof vI afiix my signature. I

LEO MELANOWSKI. 

